In one of two first-round overtime games, Chicago Brooks came away with a 57-52 victory over Teutopolis on opening night of the 7th annual Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic.

The Wooden Shoes got off to a very slow start in the game, scoring only a single free throw by Brock Deters in the first eight minutes. As a result, the Eagles built an 8-1 lead.

But the Shoes came back in the second quarter and closed the gap to 17-15 by halftime. THS owned a slim 33-32 advantage after three periods and the game was tied 50-50 after regulation.

Evan Wermert and Evan Addis both scored 13 points to lead T-Town in scoring. Chaz Harvey and Milan Williams scored 17 and 14 points respectively for Chicago Brooks.

The Shoes shot 38 percent for the game, making 17-of-45 shots overall. They were 8-for-19 from behind the arc and 9-for-16 at the foul line.

T-Town, now 7-2 on the season, will face Lawrenceville today (Friday) at 11 a.m. The winner of that game will move on to play either St. Anthony or Mattoon at 4:30 p.m. at J.H. Griffin Gymnasium. The loser of those two same games will play at 4:30 p.m. at the auxiliary gym at Effingham High School.

There was a total of eight games played Thursday – four each at Effingham and Teutopolis. Here is a brief recap of the other contests.

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Anna Blank poured in 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, helping the Olney Lady Tigers rally for a 53-44 victory at home over Teutopolis.

The Lady Shoes led through three quarters – 15-10 after the first eight minutes; 26-21 at halftime; and 36-33 after three periods. But behind Blank, the Lady Tigers went on a 20-8 scoring run to improve to 9-1 on the season.

Lexie Niebrugge paced T-Town with 14 points, while Olivia Niemerg added 10. Niebrugge and Karsyn Mette both pulled down seven rebounds.

The Lady Shoes, now 7-2, will play in the Charleston Girls Holiday Tournament. They will play two games Thursday – at noon against Effingham; and at 6 p.m. against Cairo.

Teutopolis used a 19-10 third quarter scoring run to take the lead and then hung on for a 51-49 victory over El Paso-Gridley Saturday afternoon.

The Shoes were competing in the Eureka Shootout.

The Titans led 17-10 after the first period and were on top 27-23 at halftime. T-Town then battled back to take a 42-37 lead into the final eight minutes.

Evan Wermert and Brock Deters both scored 11 points to pace the Shoes, who improved to 7-1 on the season. Wermert also had six rebounds and five assists, while Brock Deters also pulled down six rebounds.

Teutopolis will now compete in the Effingham-Teutopolis Christmas Classic, which begins Thursday. The Shoes will face Chicago Brooks at 7:30 p.m. They will then play two games Friday and conclude with a contest on Saturday.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Four minutes into the game, things didn’t look good on Homecoming Night.

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes missed their first six shots, turned the ball over three times and trailed by nine points.

But as THS coach Chet Reeder said, “eventually it all clicked.”

Sparked by the deadly long range shooting by Evan Wermert and the strong play of Brock Deters inside, when the Shoes did get rolling, there was no stopping them.

And when the final horn sounded Friday night, there was reason to celebrate Homecoming. Teutopolis had posted a 77-65 victory over a talented Bloomington Central Catholic squad.

The Shoes first point came on a free throw by Matthew Deters at the 3:27 mark of the opening period. Wermert hit the team’s first basket 30 seconds later. But the Saints dominated early and owned an 18-8 advantage after the first eight minutes.

“We were finally playing at home,” Reeder noted. “I think the guys were pressing a little and I think they were a little nervous. But I am impressed with their resiliency. They stuck with it. I’m really proud of these guys.”

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